A Tiramisu Takeover at Local Boba Shops
Plus: A new East Side cafe, 80 state fair foods and the return of Easy Tyger.
Matcha tiramisu from AmberLulu. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
Italian stalwarts such as Glorioso’s, Peter Sciortino Bakery and Carini’s La Conca d’Oro have long anchored the local tiramisu scene with classic interpretations of the layered dessert.
Beyond those versions, a new generation of businesses is treating tiramisu as a blank canvas, layering in flavors ranging from matcha and pistachio to Biscoff and crème brûlée.
Aperitivo, a European-inspired bar and cafe in the Historic Third Ward, was among the first to experiment, offering rotating tiramisu specials flavored with chocolate peppermint, blood orange, spiced pear black tea and other nontraditional combinations.
Others, including Al Hamawi, 1010 W. Layton Ave., Waukesha-based Capyfresh and Pure Delight, which operates inside Bread House at 5326 S. 27th St., have introduced flavors such as pistachio, lemon-raspberry, matcha, chocolate and mango.
The colorful riffs retain tiramisu’s familiar layers but swap in blended nuts, fruit purées, caramel drizzle and cookie crumbs to reflect each variation. Many forgo espresso when it doesn’t suit the flavor profile, making the desserts more approachable for kids and the coffee-averse.
The trend has also spread to several Milwaukee boba shops.
TMTea Boba, which opened at 3174 S. 27th St. in October 2025, rotates through Biscoff, Oreo and crème brûlée tiramisu, while Lower East Side newcomer Amberlulu Sweet Creations offers strawberry, mango, ube, coconut, matcha and other flavors.
Meanwhile, Vida Boba, 812 W. Layton Ave., has reimagined the dessert in drink form, offering an iced tiramisu latte topped with a layer of fluffy cream and a cocoa-dusted ladyfinger.
Longtime Soup Restaurant to Close
After a 22-year run across several Milwaukee-area locations, The Soup Market will cease operations later this month, owner Dave Jurena announced Friday morning.
“The final straw for us was an eviction notice,” Jurena shared in an online post, noting that the action followed two months of unpaid rent at 2211 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. “I had asked the landlord to replace our HVAC system … and his response was an eviction notice.”
According to Jurena, the Bay View building has not had air conditioning since last summer and reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit indoors this week. “It was my only way to try and get his attention,” he said.
Without a production kitchen, Jurena said the business is unable to continue. Restaurants at 5330 W. Vliet St. and 5300 S. 108th St. in Hales Corners will also close, an employee confirmed.
Milwaukee Food Council Unveils New Strategic Plan
The Milwaukee Food Council has adopted a new strategic plan that relies on specialized coalitions to identify and address gaps in the local food system.
Guided by community input, the council aims to expand equitable access to healthy food while diversifying the voices that inform its work over the next five years.
“To us, a food movement and improvement of our food system is nothing if it’s not bringing the most vulnerable people into the room,” said Samual Odin, MFC’s board president. “The farm worker, the dishwasher, the processing kitchen person, the delivery truck driver — so many of these voices have not been welcomed into the space.”
The new strategic plan would engage those groups directly. Recruitment is now underway for six key sub-groups: retail and grocery, food service, restaurant and fast food, food assistance, farmer, and intermediary — which could include storage, distribution, food recovery or waste processing.
Rise & Grind Shutters Last Cafe
Rise & Grind Cafe has closed its Harambee location after just over eight years at the site, though co-owner Baboonie Tatum is already hinting at a future return.
Located at 2737 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., inside King Drive Commons III, the cafe was known for its espresso drinks, soul food brunch and community events such as DJ sets and karaoke.
The business closed to the public in early July but plans to continue its senior dining program through July 27. The previously scheduled Poetry & Pancakes, held in tandem with Bronzeville Week, will also proceed as planned from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 8.
“These opportunities will give us additional time to celebrate the connections, conversations, and community that have made Rise & Grind Cafe so special,” Tatum wrote in a June 15 online post.
New Documentary Highlights Milwaukee Chef
Across more than three decades in the restaurant industry, chef Gregory León has juggled cross-country moves, high-stress openings, James Beard Award nominations and the uncertainties of a global pandemic. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: slicing onions.
Humble Kitchen, a new documentary from TODOS Media centered on León’s life and career, begins there.
In its opening scene, the short film shows León in a chef coat and apron prepping shallots behind the counter at his downtown restaurant, Amilinda. The kitchen is silent save for the rhythmic sound of his knife against the cutting board.
From there, the film alternates between bustling farmers markets, crowded dinner parties and meditative scenes of León working alone in his tiny kitchen. That contrast becomes a throughline of the documentary, which also explores the triumphs and struggles of León’s life outside the restaurant, though the two are never fully separate.
Kinship Starts Construction On $21.5 Million New Home
Kinship Community Food Center is starting construction on a new $21.5 million home designed to dramatically expand both the amount of food it distributes and the range of support it can offer Milwaukee residents.
The nonprofit held a groundbreaking Wednesday for a two-story, 28,000-square-foot building at the southwest corner of N. Holton and W. Locust streets.
But President and CEO Vincent Noth said the project is about far more than replacing the cramped church space from which the organization has operated for decades.
“Ultimately, it really isn’t about a building,” said Noth in an interview.
Gordo’s Plans Anniversary Giveaway
In July 2022, a group of entrepreneurs took over the former Gordo Burger. After a brief transformation involving refreshed signage, new offerings and a shower of sprinkles — both on the menu and across interior walls — Gordo’s Bubble Waffles was born.
The flagship at 2301 S. Howell Ave. will celebrate its fourth anniversary with a giveaway on Tuesday, July 21, offering bubble waffle sticks — available in flavors like M&M Blast, Pistachio Wonder and Brownie Overload — to the first 100 guests at the Bay View location and in Brookfield at 17395 W. Bluemound Road.
In the years since its launch, Gordo’s has expanded both locally and nationally, opening shops at 1633 W. Wells St., near Marquette University, and at 125 Heritage Drive in Oxford, Mississippi. The brand began franchising in 2025 and also offers catering services.
Today, Gordo’s is led by Omar Daher, Mohammed Otallah and Suhib Badwan.
Council Suspends Liquor Sales at Magic Food Market
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Ian’s Pizza Shares Plans For Harbor District
A new Ian’s Pizza location planned for the Harbor District will operate as both a restaurant and production hub for the company’s frozen line.
Ian’s shared the update on social media in late June, more than six months after submitting its initial proposal in early December. The location is now hiring and targeting an August opening.
Located at 2055 S. 1st St. in the River One development, the 3,382-square-foot space will include a public-facing counter serving slices, salads and whole pizzas to go, while part of the kitchen will be dedicated to Ian’s Pizza Anywhere, the brand’s line of frozen take-and-bake slices.
Ian’s Pizza Anywhere debuted in 2024 and features crowd-favorite flavors such as mac n’ cheese and cheese. The frozen slices are made with the same 48-hour risen dough served in Ian’s restaurants and are designed to be reheated quickly in the oven or toaster oven.
State Fair Has 80 New Foods, Vendors For 2026
With less than a month left before its Aug. 6 debut, the Wisconsin State Fair has announced 80 new food options and four first-time vendors for the 2026 event.
Far from the funnel cakes and cotton candy of yore, modern additions to the annual lineup stray from the traditional, often bordering on absurd. In 2011, one vendor gained quick notoriety for its deep-fried butter. This year, the fair is taking it one step further with deep-fried ranch.
All Family Concessions will mark its inaugural year with a riff on the Midwestern favorite, mixing ranch dressing with cheese and buttermilk, adding a crispy panko shell and serving the finished product with — you guessed it — a side of ranch.
Indulgent eats, including churro-stuffed doughnuts and caramel apple cheese curd tacos, also made the list, continuing the fair’s fascination with fusion mashups.
New Cafe Planned For East Side
Veteran baristas Hannah “Fish” Staple and Kamren Starkey have spent years talking shop about coffee. Soon, they’ll go from talking shop to running one.
Backed by a combined two decades of experience, the business partners plan to open Street Coffee Collective at 2008 N. Farwell Ave. later this summer.
Once home to Brewing Grounds For Change, the storefront was most recently occupied by retail business MJ’s Apothecary & Gifts. In its next iteration, the space will function as a neighborhood cafe welcoming coffee novices and aficionados alike.
“We want to have an inclusive menu with coffees, tea selections and specialty drinks, but we really want to also hit the people who are interested in single-origins and coffee processing,” Staple said. “We go to coffee shops and we’re nerds about it … so we want to be able to deliver that kind of experience, too.”
Easy Tyger to Reopen Saturday
After a nearly four-month hiatus, Easy Tyger plans to reopen at 1230 E. Brady St. this weekend with one key change: The business best known for its ramen is pivoting to brunch service.
In a departure from the restaurant’s former focus on Asian-American fusion, new offerings range from fried chicken and waffles to breakfast burritos and shakshouka.
The menu also features eggs Benedict, open-faced breakfast sandwiches, salads and a savory brunch plate with poached eggs, strawberry balsamic jam, confit tomatoes and housemade basil ricotta. On the sweeter side, Easy Tyger will offer Banoffee French toast and stacks of pancakes topped with strawberries and Nutella or blueberry compote.
Owner Nongluk “Nini” Trick said she’s eager to unveil the revamped menu, calling it “a great fit for Brady Street.”
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